So I'm tattooing someone and the bright side of inking folks

I've been blessed and I give it away as often as it comes. I wish to do more....

I did my first tattoo over 40 years ago and have been an artist for longer than my overdrawn memory bank can remember. It has been a life of bad and good, but one I thank God for.

Now that's not to say I've only been a tattoo artist for 40 years, but I've always done it at least on weekends as I did so many things like military, programmer, fireman and so much more. I tried everything that interested me.

However, tattooing gave me something more than doing portraits, flowers and skulls. It gave me multiple long visits with all kinds of people. All races, ethnicities, cultures, beliefs, languages, rich, poor and more.

I love people and my wife and I do it full time with a shop in the country, surrounded by farm land and two other artists that do quite well.

I've been the shoulder for countless years after a portrait of a lost love one, happiness and laughter from matching or surprise tattoos. Not to mention the folks that come with the one getting Ink.

Entire families come as well, with kids at times! I don't mind if they're mindful. I'll do tricks and magic and keep puzzles and things to figure out. Some really like to come with their parents just for a cool place to see and learn stuff that's not common.

So.....

We had a family a few years ago that came for Ink once or twice a month and this young teen wanted to come every time. He loved my shop - shot his first gun out back, solved all my puzzles rode my wheeled toys and loved to talk.

He wanted a tattoo, but parents said no until 18. Understandable and respectable. After a couple years of coming, he was 15 and had his first tattoo drawn up and ready for his 18th birthday. It was spiritually symbolic and nothing dark. It was done with good artistry. He couldn't wait to turn 18 and continued coming and having a good time as always.

Before he turned 16, he was hit by a car on his bicycle and died.

Parents couldn't afford to bury him.

We had a fundraiser and brought a lot folks together that hadn't done so in years and many relationships healed and money raised that was needed.

Family got the tattoo he was going to get and I cried too - sometimes while I was working.

That is one of so many more stores i could trek and so much I have learned from my line of work and it has helped me grow in the eyes of God and help others around us.

I love my art!!!!! I still impress myself. Hahhaaa

Movies made us look bad, but we ain't all like that.

No regerts

a reply to: godservant
What a poignant story-thanks for sharing it with us. It sounds like he was a good kid that brought a lot of joy to people; it's doubly sad when they die so young and in such a tragic way.

a reply to: godservant
Touching story... And a good reminder there are still decent people out there... ❤️

There was a story in my fakebook feed about a guy in Australia, I think, who donated his time as a tattoo artist to kids who were seriously ill with stuff like cancer. He did airbrush tattoos for them. Stuff like full sleeves. It wasn't permanent or anything, but the work was gorgeous.

He also worked with people who wants ink to cover self-harm scars to help them put that time behind themselves. He said there weren't many artists that would work with scarred skin, but he felt it was really important to find ways to work with it and design around it and cover the scars for those people and help them move on without that visible evidence of where they had been. It was a confidence thing.

He did beautiful work. As you say, there are very good people in the world, and they don't get nearly enough attention. And I feel like this sort of thing, like you did, like this man did, isn't brought up enough when people whine and cry about how greedy and selfish people are, but I understand, when you give, you don't do it so everyone knows. You do it because it needs doing and it's the right thing to do.

originally posted by: ketsuko
There was a story in my fakebook feed about a guy in Australia, I think, who donated his time as a tattoo artist to kids who were seriously ill with stuff like cancer. He did airbrush tattoos for them. Stuff like full sleeves. It wasn't permanent or anything, but the work was gorgeous.

He also worked with people who wants ink to cover self-harm scars to help them put that time behind themselves. He said there weren't many artists that would work with scarred skin, but he felt it was really important to find ways to work with it and design around it and cover the scars for those people and help them move on without that visible evidence of where they had been. It was a confidence thing.

He did beautiful work. As you say, there are very good people in the world, and they don't get nearly enough attention. And I feel like this sort of thing, like you did, like this man did, isn't brought up enough when people whine and cry about how greedy and selfish people are, but I understand, when you give, you don't do it so everyone knows. You do it because it needs doing and it's the right thing to do.

That is so wonderful, I mean way man! It warms my heart to see more doing likewise when I see mostly bad, but still try. Reminds me of many other stories I could trek, especially with cancer. The smile from someone who is gone the next day..... that is worth more than anything this physical life could possibly offer.

You remind me there is still another bucket list item I want to do.

Thankful, truly, to read your piece. Maybe someone might follow after reading what accumulates here.

My dad died of Alzheimer's. I always said I'd get a tattoo between my now pendulous breasts that says DNR and on a visible spot my name if I am ever diagnosed. So far my mind is ok, many on ATS might disagree, but if dementia should come my way a tattoo will give medical personal no doubt as to my wishes.